Short Summary

Ministers from 17 countries are attending the Paris meeting of the Committee for Agriculture of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Description

Ministers from 17 countries are attending the Paris meeting of the Committee for Agriculture of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The conference opened on Wednesday (11 April) and was scheduled to continue on Thursday and possibly Friday.

The ministers were meeting to discuss current problems in agriculture, both international and those affecting individual nations. Rising food prices was one of the main items. Detailed discussion was also expected on the instability of markets and the rapid shifts from relative surplus to relative surplus to relative shortage situations.

Also on the agenda were the need to take into account the interests of developing countries, and the progress made in re-thinking domestic agricultural policies. Particular attention was being paid to promoting international co-operation to tackle problems in agriculture.

SYNOPSIS: At the Paris headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, delegates attended a conference of the group's agricultural committee. The conference opened on Wednesday, and was expected to last up to three days as members discussed current agricultural problems.

Seventeen nations were represented at the conference.

The members were expected to discuss problems already being dealt with by the OECD at international and individual-nation levels.

Rising food prices were among the main items under consideration. Most of the delegations were led by their respective agricultural ministers, enabling them to contribute top-level opinions to discussions on aspects of the food price problem. Among there problems is the instability of markets, leading to rapid swings from surpluses of products to relative shortages.